English football could be played behind closed doors from NEXT WEEK as Prem chiefs face reality of coronavirus pandemic

Martin Lipton

11 Mar 2020, 23:34

Updated: 12 Mar 2020, 3:29

IT IS not a case of if the Premier League follows Europe’s lead — only when.

Prem chiefs insist the decision to shelve games is not “inevitable”.

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Plans are being put in place should the government order games to be played behind doorsCredit: PA:Press Association

But it sure feels like it after another 24 hours which left the world of sport reeling from the impact of the coronavirus — now officially declared a pandemic by the World Health Organisation.

English matches could be played behind closed doors from next week, even if they can go ahead as planned this time around.

League bosses, who insist they will take their lead from the Government, appear to be waiting for the lockdown call.

They are determined to play the season to a conclusion, with a number of match dates behind closed doors seen as the least-bad scenario.

Yesterday’s postponement of Manchester City’s game with Arsenal was viewed as a necessary step given the confusion caused by the news that Nottingham Forest and Olympiakos owner Evangelos Marinakis had tested positive for the virus.

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But while a number of Arsenal players and staff self-isolated after coming into contact with Marinakis in the Emirates tunnel before the Europa League clash with the Greek side, the Gunners’ weekend game at Brighton and Wolves’ trip to West Ham have both been given the all-clear.

The Spanish FA cancelled all professional and semi-pro games played in the third tier and below.

They also put the Copa del Rey final between Real Sociedad and Bilbao back from April 18 to May 30 in the hope that fans can then attend.

Czech FA bosses ordered the next two rounds of top-flight games to be played behind closed doors.

Two rounds of the Austrian Bundesliga, including matches for Manchester United’s Europa League opponents LASK, were postponed.

Games were called off in Holland and Germany.

The European Clubs Association cancelled its planned meeting in Budapest later this month after it became clear the chairman, Juventus president Andrea Agnelli, would not be allowed to travel.

Fifa postponed its annual congress of the 211 member associations, due to be held in Addis Ababa in Ethiopia, from May until September.

The Qatar international tournament in Doha including Belgium, Portugal, Switzerland and Croatia this month is off.

And it was not just football hit by Covid-19.

The Argentina MotoGP, due to take place next month, was switched to November.

And the International Tennis Federation announced that travel restrictions to Hungary had forced the postponement of next month’s Fed Cup finals in Budapest.

However, in Japan, Yoshiro Mori, president of the Tokyo Olympics organising committee, said he had received an apology from the board member who suggested the 2020 Games should be delayed for up to two years.

But football is the global sport and, even if the English game is still defying the trend — with the FA, for now, pressing ahead with the planned friendlies against Italy and Denmark this month — Uefa and national governing bodies were urged to listen to the voices of worried players and call off games for the foreseeable future.

Juventus star Daniele Rugani tests positive for coronavirus after Ronaldo, Ramsey and Co were exposed to infected team

International players’ union FifPro said: “Professional footballers, like other workers, are concerned about themselves, family and friends being exposed to the virus during their daily lives.

“For players, their exposure could come during travel, training and match days.

“Any actions relating to these activities must be coordinated in close cooperation with players and their unions.

“We ask that employers and competition organisers respect the wishes of players to take short-term precautionary measures, including suspending training or competitions.”

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